DAMAYAN MIGRANT WORKERS ASSOCIATION INC

WORKERS AND IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS - DAMAYAN EMPOWERS FILIPINO MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS AND TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS IN NEW YORK CITY RO RECLAIM THEIR RIGHTS AND DIGNITY. OUR COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES HELP WORKERS RECOVER STOLEN WAGES, COMBAT LABOR TRAFFICKING, OBTAIN HUMANITARIAN VISAS, AND BUILD COLLECTIVE WORKER POWER TO ADVOCATE FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN THE DOMESTIC WORK INDUSTRY. WE CONDUCTED 20+ KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING SESSIONS REACHING OVER 400 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON IMMIGRATION, LABOR, AND HEALTH RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. WE ORGANIZED FOUR LEGAL CLINICS PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT AND DIRECT ATTORNEY ACCESS FOR TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS AND UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS. THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WE REACHED OVER 5,000 INDIVIDUALS, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND PROTECTIONS. MOST OF OUR DAMAYAN MEMBERS ARE WOMEN DOMESTIC WORKERS WHO WORK AS NANNIES, BABYSITTERS, HOUSEKEEPIERS, AND CAREGIVERS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WERISE NANNY TRAINING PROGRAM, CORNELL WORKSER INSTITUTE, AND CARROLL GARDENS ASSOCIATION, WE LAUNCHED A PEER-LED TRAINING PROGRAM FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS SEEKING TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS. LED BY TRAINERS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE AS DOMESTIC WORKERS, THE PROGRAM COVERED SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PEDIATRICS, PREVENTING SECUAL HARASSMENT, HOME AS WORKPLACE, CPR/FIRS AID, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING-EQUIPPING WORKERS WITH BOTH TECHNICAL SKILLS AND LABOR RIGHTS KNOWLEDGE. DAMAYAN REMAINS COMMITTED TO EMPOWER DOMESTIC WORKERS AND RAISE THE STANDARDS IN THE LABOR INDUSTRY. THESE INTEGRATED EFFORTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCED PROTECTIONS AND EMPOWERED THE RIGHTS FOR MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS AND TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS WHILE BUILDING SUSTAINABLE WORKER POWER FOR LONG-TERM ADVOCACY AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE.

MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - DAMAYAN IS DEDICATED TO BUILDING AND EMPOWERING ITS MEMBERSHIP, PRIMARILY FILIPINO MIGRANT WOMEN DOMESTIC WORKERS AND TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS, BY BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, DEEPENING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND CONNECTING MEMBERS TO CRITICAL SERVICES AND ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2024, WE RECRUITED 300 NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS, PROVIDING THEM WITH ACCESS TO LEGAL CLINICS, WAGE RECOVERT SUPPORT, HUMANITARIAN VISA ASSISTANCE, AND FAMILY REUNIFICATION SERVICES THROUGH OUR TVAP PROGRAM. MEMBERS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN KNOW YOUR RIGHTS (KYR) TRAININGS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO MEET THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND LONG-TERM GOALS. THROUGH OUR WORKERS ACADEMY, A FOUR-PART WORKSHOP SERIES COVERING MIGRATION STORIES, LABOR AND IMMIGRATION RIGHTS, AND LABOR TRAFFICKING, WE CREATED A SAFE, EDUCATIONAL SPACE THAT BUILDS COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING OF SYSTEMIC ROOT CASUSES OF TRAFFICKING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AMONG WORKERS. IN 2024, WE TRAINED NEW WORKER LEADERS AND FURTHER DEVELOPED THE SKILLS OF 10 EXISTING SOCIAL JUSTICE LEADERS. WE HAVE A TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR AS A FULL-TIME CASE MANAGER AND ORGANIZER AND INCUDE A SURVIVOR AS BOARD CHAIR, ENSURING SURVIVOR LEADERSHIP IS EMBEDDED AT EVERY LEVEL OF OUR ORGANIZATION. OUR PROGRAM TRANSFORMS MEMBERS INTO ACTIVE AGENTS OF CHANGE, EQUIPPING THEM WITH KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND PLATFORMS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES WHILE STRENGTEHNING DAMAYAN'S GRASSROOTS POWER AND MISSION.